Chapter 218
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Chapter 218
As the hunting group approached their quarry, they found several more bodies. At least for the sake of their stomachs, it was fortunate that the creatures they found were just mostly devoured carcasses. At least they hadnt melted away, and it was more natural.
Not that skunks naturally ate anything large like the boar in front of them. But then again, they usually werent sufficiently larger than most forest creatures.
Just being bigger or more dangerous wasnt the concern that prompted the mission Anton and the others were on. The creature was also more aggressive, and most concerningly it had attacked and killed some humans. Even cultivators, though the last group also escaped. They were the ones who actually brought in the information about it being a skunk, something that could be guessed from its tracks but not the other signs.
Now remember, Anton reminded everyone. We have to keep some distance between each other. Not too far though, and we have to keep our eyes out.
If any of them had merely overheard a story of what they were searching for without the proof of a paying mission, they would have completely discounted it. A creature normally more of an annoyance than a danger chasing away a group that even had Spirit Building cultivators, even those in the early part of the stage, was quite unbelievable. Their group was a little bit excessive given what they already knew, but sometimes a mission had to be chosen for being the best match, not necessarily a good one.
It wasnt long before Anton finally spotted it. Since it was within eyesight, it was also well within the range of his attacks. There it is, he said. Id like to get closer. Its aura is strong enough that if I attack now and it chooses to run, well have some trouble catching up to it.
Ultimately, he was confident in shooting it down if he put in his best effort but he couldnt afford to expend so much of himself just for the skunk. Since the true mission was to be bait, they couldnt know when they might be attacked. Perhaps nothing would happen this mission, but that didnt mean he should allow himself to be exhausted. But looking like he was exhausted would be fine.This chapter was first shared on the Ñøv€lß1n platform.
Chikere was the only one who was not part of the normal group. Unlike in the the training tower in the secret realm, Devon was not with them. He was still somewhat lower in cultivation, and given what they knew about the attackers having him around would just be dangerous. As a clear weak link he would be a target, and more importantly he might come with more opponents. From the patterns that had been seen so far, the attackers tried to outclass each individual of note, though they hadnt been seen to have excessive numbers ever.
Anton still had not fired a single shot by the time the group came close enough for it to properly be noticed by it. Theyd spread out to encircle it, though they were cautious of how they approached. By the time it acknowledged them, it had no easy way to run. But it didnt seem interested regardless.
The creature was taller than any of them- and skunks were not tall, but long. Seeing a handful of humans, it was justified in having some confidence as it moved to attack the closest target. In this case, that was Chikere.
Against humans, she was used to winning a battle quickly. By finding the right opening, she could easily split someone open with a focused attack. She narrowly dodged a swipe with its front claws, moving in close and slicing upwards towards its neck with her sword. Normally such an attack would be sufficient, but even though she properly judged how much energy she needed to cut through its defensive energy, her sword only left a thin trail of blood along its neck. Its fur was much tougher than she had anticipated.
Making their way widely around the lingering presence of the noxious spray, they began to follow after the skunk. The pair who had been directly targeted began to look better, and the acidic effects hadnt injured anyone, though even Anton felt it tear away at some of his energy as he went past. It was good for them to have a few minutes to recover as they caught back up.
Ugh, Anton said as they nearly caught up to it. It escaped into its den. There was a huge hole dug into a hillside. It seemed like it might be cosy to something the size of the skunk, but it would be spacious for them.
Timothy sniffed the air, then looked down at himself. Are you sure? It doesnt smell any worse than us.
Skunks dont smell bad, Anton explained. They dont spray their den. Its just as bad of a smell to them as to us. Or at least close.
Whats the problem then? Timothy asked. It wasnt a naive complaint, but a legitimate question.
Cornered beasts can get even more vicious. If it has a family in there Anton shook his head. Well, lets just hope it doesnt. There was only a report of a single creature, though the activities of several could have been conflated. Anton looked into the burrow, then nodded. Actually, we should just stay out here. I can sense it.
Everyone listened to his advice, gathering around while he created a Spirit Arrow, firing it into the den. There were a few twists and turns, making it an unusually long burrow, but the total length was less than a hundred meters. With how wide it was, the turning radius wasnt too bad as he zipped and twisted. Anton aimed for a weak point hed spotted during the battle. Beasts who could use energy generally didnt do more than create a layer of defenses over their whole body or occasionally focus on their offensive parts- claws and teeth- but they often had weak points where they subconsciously focused less energy.
Usually that meant the spot wasnt a vital they wanted to protect, but that would do for Antons purposes. He shot another arrow and then another into the same point, piercing through and digging deeper into the same point on the creatures side as it twisted around in its den, enraged. While some organs werent immediately fatal, any wound that went deep enough was dangerous and Anton was focusing on just the single point. By the time hed fired the fourth shot, the creature was charging out of the den with a strange hissing growl noise far removed from normal skunk noises.
When it reached the opening of the den, the creature suddenly stopped- spraying dirt and rocks into the faces of those in front of it. Instead of spinning around like Anton anticipated, it lifted itself up and bent backwards, aiming towards them in an entirely unexpected way. Everyone was prepared enough to scatter, but the spray was wide enough that most people got at least a little bit on them, which had a lingering smell along with the corrosive effect.
The exception to those who dodged was Chikere, who sliced apart the spray as a means of defense. It wasnt perfect, but in the same motion she carved into the relatively soft belly of the creature. Her return stroke widened the same wound before any energy defenses could be summoned to protect the creature.
Anton was further back and only had to dodge a small amount before firing a final two arrows. One went through Chikeres slash into the creatures inside and pierced its heart, and the other went wide into the woods to his left.
That was the point at which a dozen figures revealed themselves on all sides of the group, auras at late Spirit Building and Early Essence Collection flaring up in equal measure. It seemed their plan to be bait might have even been too effective, since there was one mid Essence Collection aura as well. Outnumbered and surpassed in cultivation, Anton really hoped that they were being watched over as promised.
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Chapter 218
As the hunting group approached their quarry, they found several more bodies. At least for the sake of their stomachs, it was fortunate that the creatures they found were just mostly devoured carcasses. At least they hadnt melted away, and it was more natural.
Not that skunks naturally ate anything large like the boar in front of them. But then again, they usually werent sufficiently larger than most forest creatures.
Just being bigger or more dangerous wasnt the concern that prompted the mission Anton and the others were on. The creature was also more aggressive, and most concerningly it had attacked and killed some humans. Even cultivators, though the last group also escaped. They were the ones who actually brought in the information about it being a skunk, something that could be guessed from its tracks but not the other signs.
Now remember, Anton reminded everyone. We have to keep some distance between each other. Not too far though, and we have to keep our eyes out.
If any of them had merely overheard a story of what they were searching for without the proof of a paying mission, they would have completely discounted it. A creature normally more of an annoyance than a danger chasing away a group that even had Spirit Building cultivators, even those in the early part of the stage, was quite unbelievable. Their group was a little bit excessive given what they already knew, but sometimes a mission had to be chosen for being the best match, not necessarily a good one.
It wasnt long before Anton finally spotted it. Since it was within eyesight, it was also well within the range of his attacks. There it is, he said. Id like to get closer. Its aura is strong enough that if I attack now and it chooses to run, well have some trouble catching up to it.
Ultimately, he was confident in shooting it down if he put in his best effort but he couldnt afford to expend so much of himself just for the skunk. Since the true mission was to be bait, they couldnt know when they might be attacked. Perhaps nothing would happen this mission, but that didnt mean he should allow himself to be exhausted. But looking like he was exhausted would be fine.This chapter was first shared on the Ñøv€lß1n platform.
Chikere was the only one who was not part of the normal group. Unlike in the the training tower in the secret realm, Devon was not with them. He was still somewhat lower in cultivation, and given what they knew about the attackers having him around would just be dangerous. As a clear weak link he would be a target, and more importantly he might come with more opponents. From the patterns that had been seen so far, the attackers tried to outclass each individual of note, though they hadnt been seen to have excessive numbers ever.
Anton still had not fired a single shot by the time the group came close enough for it to properly be noticed by it. Theyd spread out to encircle it, though they were cautious of how they approached. By the time it acknowledged them, it had no easy way to run. But it didnt seem interested regardless.
The creature was taller than any of them- and skunks were not tall, but long. Seeing a handful of humans, it was justified in having some confidence as it moved to attack the closest target. In this case, that was Chikere.
Against humans, she was used to winning a battle quickly. By finding the right opening, she could easily split someone open with a focused attack. She narrowly dodged a swipe with its front claws, moving in close and slicing upwards towards its neck with her sword. Normally such an attack would be sufficient, but even though she properly judged how much energy she needed to cut through its defensive energy, her sword only left a thin trail of blood along its neck. Its fur was much tougher than she had anticipated.
Making their way widely around the lingering presence of the noxious spray, they began to follow after the skunk. The pair who had been directly targeted began to look better, and the acidic effects hadnt injured anyone, though even Anton felt it tear away at some of his energy as he went past. It was good for them to have a few minutes to recover as they caught back up.
Ugh, Anton said as they nearly caught up to it. It escaped into its den. There was a huge hole dug into a hillside. It seemed like it might be cosy to something the size of the skunk, but it would be spacious for them.
Timothy sniffed the air, then looked down at himself. Are you sure? It doesnt smell any worse than us.
Skunks dont smell bad, Anton explained. They dont spray their den. Its just as bad of a smell to them as to us. Or at least close.
Whats the problem then? Timothy asked. It wasnt a naive complaint, but a legitimate question.
Cornered beasts can get even more vicious. If it has a family in there Anton shook his head. Well, lets just hope it doesnt. There was only a report of a single creature, though the activities of several could have been conflated. Anton looked into the burrow, then nodded. Actually, we should just stay out here. I can sense it.
Everyone listened to his advice, gathering around while he created a Spirit Arrow, firing it into the den. There were a few twists and turns, making it an unusually long burrow, but the total length was less than a hundred meters. With how wide it was, the turning radius wasnt too bad as he zipped and twisted. Anton aimed for a weak point hed spotted during the battle. Beasts who could use energy generally didnt do more than create a layer of defenses over their whole body or occasionally focus on their offensive parts- claws and teeth- but they often had weak points where they subconsciously focused less energy.
Usually that meant the spot wasnt a vital they wanted to protect, but that would do for Antons purposes. He shot another arrow and then another into the same point, piercing through and digging deeper into the same point on the creatures side as it twisted around in its den, enraged. While some organs werent immediately fatal, any wound that went deep enough was dangerous and Anton was focusing on just the single point. By the time hed fired the fourth shot, the creature was charging out of the den with a strange hissing growl noise far removed from normal skunk noises.
When it reached the opening of the den, the creature suddenly stopped- spraying dirt and rocks into the faces of those in front of it. Instead of spinning around like Anton anticipated, it lifted itself up and bent backwards, aiming towards them in an entirely unexpected way. Everyone was prepared enough to scatter, but the spray was wide enough that most people got at least a little bit on them, which had a lingering smell along with the corrosive effect.
The exception to those who dodged was Chikere, who sliced apart the spray as a means of defense. It wasnt perfect, but in the same motion she carved into the relatively soft belly of the creature. Her return stroke widened the same wound before any energy defenses could be summoned to protect the creature.
Anton was further back and only had to dodge a small amount before firing a final two arrows. One went through Chikeres slash into the creatures inside and pierced its heart, and the other went wide into the woods to his left.
That was the point at which a dozen figures revealed themselves on all sides of the group, auras at late Spirit Building and Early Essence Collection flaring up in equal measure. It seemed their plan to be bait might have even been too effective, since there was one mid Essence Collection aura as well. Outnumbered and surpassed in cultivation, Anton really hoped that they were being watched over as promised.
Chapter 218As the hunting group approached their quarry, they found several more bodies. At least for the sake of their stomachs, it was fortunate that the creatures they found were just mostly devoured carcasses. At least they hadnt melted away, and it was more natural.Not that skunks naturally ate anything large like the boar in front of them. But then again, they usually werent sufficiently larger than most forest creatures.Just being bigger or more dangerous wasnt the concern that prompted the mission Anton and the others were on. The creature was also more aggressive, and most concerningly it had attacked and killed some humans. Even cultivators, though the last group also escaped. They were the ones who actually brought in the information about it being a skunk, something that could be guessed from its tracks but not the other signs.Now remember, Anton reminded everyone. We have to keep some distance between each other. Not too far though, and we have to keep our eyes out.If any of them had merely overheard a story of what they were searching for without the proof of a paying mission, they would have completely discounted it. A creature normally more of an annoyance than a danger chasing away a group that even had Spirit Building cultivators, even those in the early part of the stage, was quite unbelievable. Their group was a little bit excessive given what they already knew, but sometimes a mission had to be chosen for being the best match, not necessarily a good one.It wasnt long before Anton finally spotted it. Since it was within eyesight, it was also well within the range of his attacks. There it is, he said. Id like to get closer. Its aura is strong enough that if I attack now and it chooses to run, well have some trouble catching up to it. Ultimately, he was confident in shooting it down if he put in his best effort but he couldnt afford to expend so much of himself just for the skunk. Since the true mission was to be bait, they couldnt know when they might be attacked. Perhaps nothing would happen this mission, but that didnt mean he should allow himself to be exhausted. But looking like he was exhausted would be fine.This chapter was first shared on the Nvl1n platform.Chikere was the only one who was not part of the normal group. Unlike in the the training tower in the secret realm, Devon was not with them. He was still somewhat lower in cultivation, and given what they knew about the attackers having him around would just be dangerous. As a clear weak link he would be a target, and more importantly he might come with more opponents. From the patterns that had been seen so far, the attackers tried to outclass each individual of note, though they hadnt been seen to have excessive numbers ever.Anton still had not fired a single shot by the time the group came close enough for it to properly be noticed by it. Theyd spread out to encircle it, though they were cautious of how they approached. By the time it acknowledged them, it had no easy way to run. But it didnt seem interested regardless.The creature was taller than any of them- and skunks were not tall, but long. Seeing a handful of humans, it was justified in having some confidence as it moved to attack the closest target. In this case, that was Chikere.Against humans, she was used to winning a battle quickly. By finding the right opening, she could easily split someone open with a focused attack. She narrowly dodged a swipe with its front claws, moving in close and slicing upwards towards its neck with her sword. Normally such an attack would be sufficient, but even though she properly judged how much energy she needed to cut through its defensive energy, her sword only left a thin trail of blood along its neck. Its fur was much tougher than she had anticipated.Making their way widely around the lingering presence of the noxious spray, they began to follow after the skunk. The pair who had been directly targeted began to look better, and the acidic effects hadnt injured anyone, though even Anton felt it tear away at some of his energy as he went past. It was good for them to have a few minutes to recover as they caught back up.Ugh, Anton said as they nearly caught up to it. It escaped into its den. There was a huge hole dug into a hillside. It seemed like it might be cosy to something the size of the skunk, but it would be spacious for them.Timothy sniffed the air, then looked down at himself. Are you sure? It doesnt smell any worse than us.Skunks dont smell bad, Anton explained. They dont spray their den. Its just as bad of a smell to them as to us. Or at least close.Whats the problem then? Timothy asked. It wasnt a naive complaint, but a legitimate question.Cornered beasts can get even more vicious. If it has a family in there Anton shook his head. Well, lets just hope it doesnt. There was only a report of a single creature, though the activities of several could have been conflated. Anton looked into the burrow, then nodded. Actually, we should just stay out here. I can sense it.Everyone listened to his advice, gathering around while he created a Spirit Arrow, firing it into the den. There were a few twists and turns, making it an unusually long burrow, but the total length was less than a hundred meters. With how wide it was, the turning radius wasnt too bad as he zipped and twisted. Anton aimed for a weak point hed spotted during the battle. Beasts who could use energy generally didnt do more than create a layer of defenses over their whole body or occasionally focus on their offensive parts- claws and teeth- but they often had weak points where they subconsciously focused less energy.Usually that meant the spot wasnt a vital they wanted to protect, but that would do for Antons purposes. He shot another arrow and then another into the same point, piercing through and digging deeper into the same point on the creatures side as it twisted around in its den, enraged. While some organs werent immediately fatal, any wound that went deep enough was dangerous and Anton was focusing on just the single point. By the time hed fired the fourth shot, the creature was charging out of the den with a strange hissing growl noise far removed from normal skunk noises.When it reached the opening of the den, the creature suddenly stopped- spraying dirt and rocks into the faces of those in front of it. Instead of spinning around like Anton anticipated, it lifted itself up and bent backwards, aiming towards them in an entirely unexpected way. Everyone was prepared enough to scatter, but the spray was wide enough that most people got at least a little bit on them, which had a lingering smell along with the corrosive effect.The exception to those who dodged was Chikere, who sliced apart the spray as a means of defense. It wasnt perfect, but in the same motion she carved into the relatively soft belly of the creature. Her return stroke widened the same wound before any energy defenses could be summoned to protect the creature.Anton was further back and only had to dodge a small amount before firing a final two arrows. One went through Chikeres slash into the creatures inside and pierced its heart, and the other went wide into the woods to his left. That was the point at which a dozen figures revealed themselves on all sides of the group, auras at late Spirit Building and Early Essence Collection flaring up in equal measure. It seemed their plan to be bait might have even been too effective, since there was one mid Essence Collection aura as well. Outnumbered and surpassed in cultivation, Anton really hoped that they were being watched over as promised.
